|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 10:20 am
“ When the mob and the press and the whole world tell you to move, your job is to plant yourself like a tree beside the river of truth, and tell the whole world — no, you move.” Link to profile
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 10:21 am
Page One
1. Introductory post
2. Table of Contents
3. About Bakarn
4. About Blyth
5. History
6. Relationships
7. Squiremaster
8. Pets
9. Possessions
10. Roleplay Tracker
11. Mission Logs
12. Mission Reports
13. Memories
14. Art
15. Credits
Page Two
Journal entries
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 10:22 am
About Bakarn
Name: Bakarn
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Rank: Candidate
Appearance: Bakarn thinks he's a lot handsomer than he is - unless you're really into the shaved-head boot camp cadet look, which he's sported proudly since somewhere around the age of twelve. Let's face it, there are some uniforms that look really stunningly good on a fit young man, and the grey tunic and hose are not one of those uniforms. But that... doesn't really do anything to stop Bakarn cheerfully strolling about like he's the hottest thing to grace the Weyr. If confidence is magnetic, then maybe he's got something going for him.
Sure, there are traces of potential: he's tall, nearly six feet, with a strong jawline and a handsome smile. It's coupled with legs for days and the athletic, leanly muscled build that one gets from good eating and plenty of brisk exercise. Weyrbrats rarely go hungry even at the worst of times. There might be dark hollows under his intensely blue eyes, but they're the result of genetics and bone structure, not from deprivation. His hair is dark seal brown, usually kept as short as possible... if only because the closer it gets to that inch-long maximum limit, the more egregiously unruly it tends to be.
Personality: Let's make this clear: if you told Bakarn that the only way to save his best friend was to put his hand into a wher's mouth and let it bite down, he'd... well, demand proof first. Because contrary to popular belief, he is not that kind of stupid. But he'd do it. He'd ask for a blindfold and a stiff drink, and then he'd do it.
Bakarn is loyal to a fault. No, seriously. It's a fault. Loyalty is a fault when it makes you do stupid things on your friend's behalf, whether that something is hypothetically losing a hand to a wher or very literally picking a fight to defend their reputation. He is willfully blind to the consequences of his actions, provided those actions are performed on behalf of someone else: he'd never put up half so much trouble on his own account, but as soon as you get a friend of his involved he comes down like a sack of hammers. It doesn't help that he has a really unfortunate combination going on: a vicious hatred of all bullies, and an occasionally patronizing tendency to mother-duck over Candidates younger and/or smaller than him. Honestly, you'd think he went around trying to be surrogate-elder-brother-figure to all his fellow creche brats... wait, you mean he more or less does that? That's not a good idea, Bakarn, you should stop doing that.
He's a scrappy motherflyer, quick with his wit and his blade alike, more than a little bit foul-mouthed and audacious to boot. While Bakarn knows how to lie if he has to, they tend to be small lies (of the "I didn't see nothing" when the Candidatemaster asks type) and where it counts he's more likely to be good-naturedly blunt. He calls it "charming honesty". He is deluded on this subject. As one might guess, if you could generate electricity off sheer idiot cockiness, Bakarn on a good day could probably spark a small industrial revolution. His courage is undoubted, though in the right light it can sometimes look more like recklessness. Still, Bakarn doesn't do dangerous things for the sake of the adrenaline rush; he wouldn't have lasted more than a turn as a Second Wing squire if he did. He doesn't enjoy putting himself in life-threatening situations. But he's got a nasty case of big damn hero syndrome, and if that dangerous thing is For The Good of Pern... yep, there he goes. No stopping him now.
It doesn't help that he fancies himself as... something of a ladies' man. And occasionally a man's man. Bakarn doesn't judge. Look, he grew up in a Weyr, he got the birds and the bees talk pretty early because greenflights, and there's... really nothing that shocks him anymore. People like who they like. As for Bakarn, he likes having a pretty companion on his arm. Make no mistake, though, he is a gentleman, not a heartbreaker. It's not about conquest or bragging rights or even getting anything in particular. It's about not being alone. He'd be just as happy to take a girl out on a nice date, walk her back to her weyr, and leave it be. Remember that earlier bit about loyal to a fault? Bakarn doesn't like burning bridges, and his relationships overall tend towards "friends with benefits": low-obligation, companionable bonds that can be just as easily shifted back to just plain "friends" without lingering regrets or ill will. On the rare occasion that he genuinely, romantically, falls for someone, he's more likely to panic and never act on it for fear of somehow ruining everything.
Still, it's important to remember that Bakarn is a teenager. Steadfast belief in his own immortality is the name of the game, here. There is every reason to believe that, as he settles down and matures a little, he has all the potential to become a great rider someday. His motives - courage, selflessness, loyalty - are in the right place. And he's surprisingly good at taking orders, as long as those orders aren't "shut up, Bakarn." Even when he's given a task that he doesn't particularly want to do, there's a difference between a punishment inflicted out of spite and an unpleasant task that's nonetheless for your own good, and Bakarn can tell the difference between the former and the latter. In his own words, he might not be smart but he ain't dumb; Bakarn's intelligence tends towards the emotional rather than the logical, based primarily on intuition rather than learned facts.
He might grumble about it a little, but Bakarn is pretty easygoing about even the onerous aspects of Candidacy. He adores dragonriders of all colors and walks of life. He wants to be a dragonrider, more than anything, and they all have his inherent respect and admiration. As far as he's concerned, the Weyr is his family. They raised him, fed him, and housed him, and everything he does now is repaying them for their kindness.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 10:23 am
Quote: “Soon they were all sitting on the rocky ledge, which was still warm, watching the sun go down into the lake. It was the most beautiful evening, with the lake as blue as a cornflower and the sky flecked with rosy clouds. They held their hard-boiled eggs in one hand and a piece of bread and butter in the other, munching happily. There was a dish of salt for everyone to dip their eggs into. ‘I don’t know why, but the meals we have on picnics always taste so much nicer than the ones we have indoors,’ said George.”
Inspiration:
The Famous Five is the name of a series of children's novels written by English author Enid Blyton. The first book, Five on a Treasure Island, was published in 1942. The novels feature the adventures of a group of young children – Julian, d**k, Anne and Georgina (George) – and their dog Timmy.
The stories always take place in the children's school holidays after they have returned from their respective boarding schools. Each time they meet they get caught up in an adventure, the location of which varies from book to book. Sometimes the scene is set close to George's family home at Kirrin Cottage in Dorset: Kirrin Island, a picturesque island owned by George and her family in Kirrin Bay, for example, presents many opportunities for adventure. George's own home and various other houses the children visit or stay in are hundreds of years old, and often contain secret passages or smugglers' tunnels. In some books, the children go camping in the countryside, on a hike or holiday together elsewhere. The settings, however, are almost always rural and enable the children to discover the simple joys of cottages, islands, the English and Welsh countryside and sea shores, as well as the adventures, picnics, lemonade, bicycle trips, home-made food, raspberry pop and lashings of ginger beer. (Although the supposed quote 'lashings of ginger beer' does not appear in any of the books).
Name: Blyth
Feel of voice: A gentle summer breeze, lashings of ginger beer, warm arms and a promise that it will all be alright.
Personality:
Let’s put this bluntly: Blyth is not the sharpest pencil in the pack. In fact, she’s as dumb as a box of bricks. Though her enthusiasm can never be doubted, her intellect is another matter: she will never be interested in intellectual matters, and will find tactical planning dull - she would far rather simply charge. If it helps, think of her as a war elephant... and possibly just as easily routed. It will never be in Blyth's nature to be a dominant creature, and threats of physical violence (or actual violence) will quickly drive her away. Though she will always want to fight thread, it will be up to her rider to keep her from panicking in the midst of it - something that might lead to an early death if not nipped in the bud...
For all that, she’s a deeply affectionate and loving creature. Blyth forms attachments easily and deeply, and will cheerfully regard everything and everyone as her friend until proved otherwise. She's easily guided, especially by those she loves, and can be prompted into doing things that certainly aren't in her interest - or necessarily 'right' - if someone she likes or respects tells her it's the right thing to do. She’s extremely playful, and will naturally be drawn to those who enjoy playing with her - whether that’s a tussle between her and her rider over a stick as a weyrling, or play-fighting with other dragons. She may frequently pop up with Marelth, acting as either a conscience or the annoying sister who Just Won’t Let Her Think.
She’s also a curious dragon, and together with Peth Mysteries Will Be Solved: though she may struggle to understand some of the more complex clues, she’ll try her jolly best until she gets there. She is capable of an intense single-mindedness, whether that’s tracking down a combatant in the middle of a melee or trying to puzzle through something, and will not stop until she gets there. This single-mindedness is something that her rider will need to manage carefully - Blyth's bloodhound act can lead to her not thinking or taking care of herself during the hunt (be the hunt for the PERFECT new diadem or a fugitive from the law) and it's entirely possible that she will drive herself into the ground if left to her own devices. She also loves chewing on things - a rather untidy dragon, it will be unusual to find her weyr not littered with the chewed-clean bones of her kills.
Pros: Playful/boisterous, loyal, loving, curious, tractable
Cons: Dumb as a box of bricks, prone to chewing things, capable of intense singlemindedness
Appearance:
Blyth is a large green, reaching the top of the scale for her colour. She has a long and relatively thin snout with powerful jaws - her bite is something to believe - and equally strong legs. She looks a little ungainly with her long thin tail, but definitely makes up for it in any squabble, and is capable of extreme endurance over many hours of flight.
Other: Fond of swimming.
Why Me?: Bakarn is kind, and Bakarn is loyal, and those are traits that Blyth needs very much - when you’re a few beers short of a six-pack, a rider who’ll be understanding is essential. In return, she’ll be the loyal and loving companion he needs: no-one will ever love Bakarn as deeply and truly as she does… and as far as she’s concerned, no-one else will be as ready to charge stupidly off into whatever fight he’s picking next. Blyth hates bullies just as much as Bakarn, and though she might not be as aware of the subtle sorts of bullying, once she’s made her mind up she’ll be just as happy to stamp all over it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 10:25 am
History
Bakarn is a weyrbrat to the bone. He honestly has no idea who his parents are; he knows his mother was a rider of some chromatic color, but no idea about his father, and there's just too sharding many riders in the Weyr with a B, K, or R in their name. It's not like he could narrow it down, even if he tried. It doesn't bother him overmuch; he has a family, they're just the ones he chose rather than the ones tied by blood.
Point being, he's known dragons since before he could walk properly. The kid grew up immersed in Weyr culture, practically breathing it; it's safe to assume that if it's a common High Reaches attitude, Bakarn has internalized it, at least to some extent. (Some less so than others - he had any sexist ideas thoroughly knocked out of his head by his first squiremaster, but that comes later. Much later.) His entire life, the path before him has been clearly laid out: grow up a weyrbrat, boot camp when he's old enough, squiring, and then a dragon of his own someday. And quite frankly, becoming a dragonrider sounded pretty fardling good, so he never felt the need to question any of it.
As a kid growing up in the creche, Bakarn was... not precisely a ringleader, more like an instigator, within his little posse of friends and fellow conspirators. He was the kid who'd pick up an idea and run with it, rather than let it drop, and bring all his friends along for the ride too. The caretakers largely turned a blind eye, as long as it stayed small and controlled. His adventures usually involved turning the tables on someone who'd been picking on the smaller kids, and the little acts of justice were never enough to get anyone sent to the infirmary. (Although he did get his ears boxed for the Incident in the Laundry that turned half of First Wing's underclothes faintly purple. That wasn't even the intended outcome; they'd mixed up which laundry tub was which.) The rest of the time, he was no particular high achiever in lessons - literacy in particular he struggled with for a few turns, until one of his teachers assigned him to reading that he found interesting enough to want to rise to the challenge.
At age twelve he began boot camp with the rest of the 'brats his age; maybe half a turn later, a new batch of Candidates came in Searched from Nabol, and among them was a scrawny, sickly-looking kid named Seytev. As these things tend to go, almost immediately bets started circulating on how quick it'd take the new kid to wash out and be sent back home. It rankled at Bakarn - such talk always did, because as far as he was concerned, if he was going to pick someone to kick out of Candidacy it'd be the bullies any day.
And then one day someone pushed him a little too far. Seytev stood up to a group of Candidates, each several turns his senior and twice his size. Without even thinking, Bakarn stepped in to back him up. The resultant scuffle left everyone bruised and muttering stubborn excuses to the exasperated healers, and delayed Bakarn's graduation to squiring by several months - they were disappointed in his lack of judgement, the Candidatemaster said. On the other hand, he'd gained a best friend, so there was an upside. Bakarn coached Seytev, helping him catch up to the rest of the class in terms of self-defense, and Seytev in turn helped Bakarn out with the lessons that he tended to tune out.
He was fortunate enough, when he finally graduated boot camp, to catch a position as squire to a Second Wing rider. P'kara was a grizzled, older greenrider, well-used to defending her position amongst the boys; her last squire had just Impressed at Hiraeth's last clutch, and she was looking for (in her own words) a likely-looking Candidate with more heart than brains that she could help knock some sense into. Bakarn fit the bill pretty nicely, overall. Her first focus was on educating him in the realities of rider life: they spouted off a lot of nice platitudes in the classroom, but nobody really told you what it was like to fight bandits (who could be murderous monsters or just desperate people trying not to starve, or both) or how messy the politics could get. Black-and-white, rider supremacist views wouldn't be tolerated under her watch, and she wanted to be sure first and foremost that a little cynicism wasn't going to ruin her bright-eyed and bushy-tailed new squire. It didn't, although it was... a bit of a disappointment, at first, to realize that dragonriders were just people same as everyone else, and that being chosen by a hatchling wouldn't turn the asses in his Candidate class into fundamentally better people.
He was fifteen when she took him into the field for the first time. He was still kept out of the way of the actual fighting, just there to help guard the prisoners once they'd been subdued. If his first glimpse of violence and death up close and personal shook him up, he was too proud and too full of boyish stubbornness to let it show. If he ran back to Seytev afterwards, leaning on his childhood friend for reassurance that the world kept turning, they didn't talk to anyone else about it. And he hardened up quick; the next time, he was prepared enough to grab a blade and rush in after his squiremaster to back her up in a bad situation.
Two turns ago, when Bakarn was sixteen, P'kara's green wheeled left instead of right trying to escape a tight clump of Thread, and winged straight into a bronze's gout of flame. The burns weren't bad enough to kill, but they were... bad. And neither P'kara nor her dragon were young; they wouldn't bounce back from the injury the way that a sprightlier pair would. With great reluctance, the older woman accepted retirement from Second Wing - if her dragon ever flew again, it would not be with the bandit-hunters.
Bakarn was utterly heartbroken. Had she been wounded on the battlefield, he could have rushed in to help, but... without a dragon, there was nothing he could do against Threadfall. He would have gladly stayed with his old mentor, even grounded as she was, but P'kara would hear none of it. It wouldn't do, to have a young man like Bakarn away from the fighting. Still, his sense of loyalty to her wouldn't let him request a transfer, so she took the decision away from him: insisting that she needed her squire out of her hair so that she could spend all her time with her recuperating dragon, she shooed him off to a new squiremaster. And if Bakarn understood the real meaning behind her grumpy farewells, neither of them spoke of it.
He was taken on by C'tis of blue Malcarreth, staying with Second Wing where he already knew the riders and their squires. He knew the stern bluerider by reputation already, and anxious to prove himself, he threw himself with redoubled effort into his work. His combat skills have been improving by leaps and bounds, although lately he's grown uncomfortably aware of how close he's getting to ageing out. One of these hatchings, it's gonna happen...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 2:27 pm
"The point is not that I don't recognise bad people when I see them — I grant you I may quite well be taken in by them — the point is that I know a good person when I see one." Relationships
Seytev - weyrling
*shrug* Eh, Sey's all right, I guess.
Alcine - weyrling
I'm sorry, haha, I'm so sorry! I had to go dance with the weyrleader! Oh, Faranth, she's going to try to be our sense of... sense, and I wish her all the best - someone needs to try. But if C'tis hasn't shouted the deadglow out of me yet, I don't hold well for her chances. Sorry!
Zarike - weyrling
What a crazy son of a wher! Punching an egg open? But it worked for him, didn't it? Only brown in the clutch and everything. No, I don't hold him no grudges. That's between him and his dragon and he's got it hard enough. I like him, and any rate there's no room for resentment between any of us now.
Vanavia - weyrling
I wish I'd known her better before we Impressed. She's newly taken from the Holds, isn't she? Impressed before she got the chance to squire properly and everything. I'll have to see to it she settles in all right.
Keralder - weyrling
Bit of an a**, isn't he, our Kidder? But he doesn't mean anything by it, don't worry over it. That's just how some people are. He's a good soul, underneath - his heart's in the right place and I'd trust him same as I'd trust any of them.
Yevalee - weyrling
I like Yevalee! Wasn't expecting him to come stand with us against G'vian, ha! But there he was, first one and everything! He's brave. Brave and tough. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
Deruvene - weyrling
He seems so nice! Don't know him real well, though. Blyth and I'll have to go find him and talk to him soon.
Aeglentine - Candidate
Ha, we need people like her to keep the people like me in line, let's be honest. But I'm glad she's got a sense of honor - didn't rat us out or nothing!
C'tis - former squiremaster
Please don't kill me, sir.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2014 4:21 pm
Squiremaster
Bakarn thinks that C'tis is probably the best squiremaster that any human could ask for.
He is simultaneously terrified of the bluerider like eighty percent of the time.
For some reason, despite the fact that Bakarn keeps doing really incredibly stupid things and getting his a** in trouble, C'tis hasn't either abandoned him or fed him to the whers yet. And that alone will earn his undying love and loyalty.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2014 4:24 pm
Pets
None. Bakarn already has a baby to look after.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2014 4:25 pm
Possessions
In His Quarters
Usually Carried
On Duty
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2014 5:20 pm
Roleplay Tracker
Stuff's gonna go here. Swear to Faranth it is.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2014 5:20 pm
Mission Log
Stuff's gonna go here. Swear to Faranth it is.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2014 5:21 pm
Mission Reports
Stuff's gonna go here. Swear to Faranth it is.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2014 5:21 pm
Memories
QUOTE IMPRESSION POST?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2014 5:22 pm
Art
Tekteked Bakarn, sporting his navy blues!
His pretty girl, Blyth!
Alcine and Bakarn, by AMItotic!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2014 5:23 pm
Credits
Bakarn - Tuatha De
Blyth - Concinnity Blaise
Dragonbraved canon - TawnyAngel and Concinnity Blaise
Shop templates - Heart of Pern
Dragonriders of Pern - Anne and Todd McCaffrey
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
